Page 53 of Twisted Collide

“You needed me, Coach?”

For a second, I’m taken aback. Coach? Does she not refer to him as Dad? I scour my brain, trying to remember if I’ve ever heard her say it.

I’ve tried to avoid her as much as possible, and ninety percent of the time I’ve seen her, he hasn’t been around. But now that I think of it, she didn’t call him Dad at dinner either.

And now I’m certain that she hasn’t ever called him Dad. I know there’s a story there, and while I wonder what it is, I won’t ask. I told him the first night that it wasn’t my business, and I intend to stick to that.

“Please feel free to say no to what I’m going to ask you; you are in no way obligated to say yes, of course. While your job here is as an intern, this will fall a little outside the parameters I set.”

“Okay . . .” She’s clearly confused.

While I’m not confused about what he’s going to say, and hell to the no am I going to allow this, what I am confused about is why he talks to her like this. Like he doesn’t know her at all. Like she hates him. Like it’s a huge imposition to even speak to him, and he’s treading carefully.

I know I shouldn’t care, but I find I want to know everything more and more by the second.

No, you don’t.

Despite my inner voice telling me I don’t, I do, and it pisses me the fuck off.

“I was wondering if you could spend the next few weeks before the season starts helping Dane out.” He stops for a second towatch her. When she doesn’t say or do anything, he nods and then continues. “Dane’s sister, Molly, handles everything for Dane.”

“She’s his assistant?”

“More like life manager,” he corrects, and I have to hand it to him. That title is the most accurate description of Molly. Life manager and keeper of sanity works too. “Molly is away for another month, and Dane here needs someone to help him. Of course, I would understand if you wanted to say no. It’s not exactly the experience you came here for—”

“Yes.” She cuts in.

Fuck.

What the hell is she up to?

Clearly, she’s out to make my life hell, and can I blame her?

Not one bit.

21

JOSIE

“Thank you so much,Josie. You have no idea how helpful this will be,” the sperm donor says before turning to Dane. His face changes the moment he looks at Dane. While he was smiling when he spoke to me, his lips have sagged back down and now resemble a straight line.

He’s all business now, and by the looks of things, he’s not happy with Dane.

His whole demeanor feels off from the family dinner a week ago. There, they spoke like father and son, but now, he looks at him like he’s ready to scold him. Dane’s face is rock hard, lines forming between his brow, and man, his posture is unnaturally straight. He looks like a stubborn child ready to throw a tantrum.

The interesting thing is he doesn’t. He grinds his teeth but doesn’t speak.

“I’ll leave you two alone to hash out your schedule. Josie, you should get in touch with Molly if Dane gives you any problems—”

“There won’t be any need forthat,” Dane assures.

My father nods, his face still showing little emotion, but I see a small line form in his cheek. He’s pleased with himself.

It’s obvious that Dane doesn’t want an assistant other than his sister. It’s also obvious that my father feels triumphant that he pulled this one over on him.

If he knew the history between us, he wouldn’t be smiling. However, that thought alone makes me want to smile.

Dane hates me for no reason. He chose to sleep with me, so that’s on him. He needs my help, and that makes me feel in power for the first time in a while where he’s concerned.

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